Psychology Archives

Drive by Daniel H Pink: Book Overview

Are you feeling unmotivated in your job and life? Are you finding your current goals unsatisfying to keep working toward? Drive by Daniel H. Pink believes your work structure is to blame. Historically, employers have motivated employees through financial rewards and kept workers on a tight leash. These principles worked well when people were primarily working in assembly lines, but today’s creative work demands more: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Below is a brief overview of the key points and takeaways.

The Curse of Knowledge: Blinded by Expertise

What is the curse of knowledge? How does it get in the way of effective communication? Sometimes we’re blinded by the curse-of-knowledge bias, assuming that others know what we know. As a result, we fail to communicate effectively and compellingly. When we learn to get around this cognitive bias, we can craft messages that are clear and convincing. Read more to learn how the curse of knowledge hampers communication.

Teach Discipline to Your Kids: The 2 Things You Need

What’s the best way to teach discipline to children? What must parents do? To support a child’s development, the most important skill a parent can pass on is discipline. That’s the view of M. Scott Peck, in his classic book The Road Less Traveled. To teach discipline, two components are critical: love and attention. Read more to learn how to teach discipline to your kids.

Adam 1 and Adam 2: Re-Balance Your Two Worldviews

What’s the problem with living a me-focused life? Why is it important to balance the two Adams that live inside of you? In his book The Road to Character, David Brooks discusses the shift in the societal focus from “we” to “me.” To demonstrate that shift, Brooks talks about the idea that there are two Adams that live inside you, Adam 1 and Adam 2. Brooks says that you don’t need to choose sides, rather, you need to find a healthy balance between the two Adams. Keep reading to learn about the problems with a me-focused attitude and how to

Childhood & Self-Esteem: How to Raise a Confident Kid

How do children develop self-esteem? What can you do to help your child develop a healthy sense of self-esteem? There are many factors that shape self-esteem in childhood. Genetics plays a part, but upbringing and experience (risk, failure, and so on) are also critical. Failure, in particular, builds resilience—the more you experience it, especially when you’re young, the less you fear it. Below are some techniques for helping children develop self-esteem.

Behavioral Investing: Are You An Irrational Investor?

What is behavioral investing? What behavioral traits can cause problems for investors? Behavioral investing theories point out that people are generally not rational decision-makers. This is important for investing because a lot of people are actually irrational investors. Understanding (and avoiding) the common traits of an irrational investor will allow you to make better investment decisions. Keep reading for more about behavioral investing.

Evaluate Results to Make Better Future Decisions

Do you evaluate results after you make decisions? What can you learn by doing so? Learning from experience is a powerful way to grow. Whether it’s a decision you made—or a decision someone else made—you should evaluate results and use them as learning opportunities. Read more to learn why and how to evaluate the results of decisions.

Are Self-Serving Attributions Holding You Back?

What are self-serving attributions? How do they keep us from learning and growing? Self-serving attributions are a form of bias that we’re all guilty of at times. If our decision turns out well, we attribute it to our skill. If it doesn’t, we call it bad luck. When we think this way, we fail to learn from experience because we’ve mischaracterized the experience. To learn and grow, we should look honestly at ourselves—and at others. Continue reading to learn how self-serving attributions might be getting in the way of growth.

The Ability to Adapt and the Power of Letting Go

How is the ability to adapt important for personal growth and mental health? How does this ability relate to the power of letting go? Healthy navigation of life requires an ability to adapt. In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck calls this balance, which is a component of discipline. It allows us to remain flexible, moderating our behaviors when beneficial. It also requires sacrifices, and we would do well to embrace the power of letting go in order to grow. Keep reading to learn how the ability to adapt is an important part of mental well-being.

The Evidence of Grace: A Psychiatrist’s Perspective

Is grace real? What is the evidence of grace? According to psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, the evidence of grace is resilience, synchronicity, the unconscious, and evolution. In The Road Less Traveled, Peck offers that, if we reflect on the evidence of grace, we become more open to receiving it. This is critical for spiritual growth. Keep reading to learn about the evidence of grace from Peck’s perspective.